Integrative Evaluation of the Ecological Hazards by Microplastics and Heavy Metals in Wetland Ecosystem.

This study was performed to evaluate the impact of microplastics and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni) on sediments, water, aquatic plants (Pistia stratiotes, Alternanthera philoxeroides, and Ipomoea carnea), and fish (Labeo rohita) samples collected from five different sites in the Bajwat wetlands in Sialkot, Pakistan. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Cr were above the permissible limits devised by WHO in all the ecosystem components (i.e. sediments, water, plants, and fish) at all sites. The maximum amount of microplastic particles (2317 microplastic particles per kg of sediments) was recorded at Site 1. The filaments were the most commonly found type of microplastics. Plants and fish samples also showed considerable concentration of metals. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed anthropogenic sources of elevated concentrations of metal elements which could cause adverse biological effects in the ecosystem.

Ecological health risk assessment of microplastics and heavy metals in sediments, water, hydrophytes (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Typha latifolia, and Ipomoea carnea), and fish (Labeo rohita) in Marala wetlands in Sialkot, Pakistan.

For the ecological risk assessment of heavy metals and microplastics in Marala wetlands in Sialkot, Pakistan, samples of sediments, water, aquatic plants (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Typha latifolia, and Ipomoea carnea), and fish (Labeo rohita) were studied from five different locations. Pb, Cd, and Cr concentrations were above permissible limits devised by WHO in sediments and water at most of sites. High concentrations of Cd were recorded in water samples compared to sediments with maximum values recorded at Site-2 (52.08 ± 9.55 mg kg-1) and Site-5 (62.29 ± 10.12 mg kg-1). The maximum concentrations of Cr (7.23 ± 0.40 mg kg-1) and Pb (22.87 ± 0.83 mg kg-1) were found at Site-4 in water samples. The maximum abundance of microplastics (3047 pieces kg-1 of sediments) was at Site-1 with filaments in the highest proportion among the other types. Zn, Ni, and Cu remained generally low in concentrations in both sediments and waters. Plants showed accumulation of heavy metals, notably the amount of Cd (33.36 ± 0.26 mgkg-1) and Ni (163.3 ± 1.30 mgkg-1) absorbed by T. latifolia and A. philoxeroides, respectively were high. Also, photosynthetic pigments in plants seemed to be affected. However, estimated daily intake (EDI) and provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) calculations for the human population consuming fish from this wetland remained below the FAO/WHO limits. PCA analysis revealed the anthropogenic origin of metals that might be causing adverse effects on the biota which depend on this wetland for their food.

Recent advancements in surface modifications of dental implants.

OBJECTIVE: Implantology is one of the most investigated topics in modern dentistry. The current review was planned to systematically summarise all industrial, mass production and experimental trends in dental implant manufacturing relative primarily to their surface modification conducted between January 2017 and January 2020. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The review was conducted in Army Medical College, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Armed Forces Institute Of Dentistry, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Foundation University College of Dentistry, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Islamabad, and the Higher Education Commission Library, Islamabad. Literature was searched on PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Cochrane and Science Direct databases. The key words employed were "dental Implants", "surface modification", "surface morphology", "surface treatment" and "surface augmentation". RESULTS: A total of 38 articles were short-listed and reviewed in detail. There was abundant evidence suggesting the importance of these surface modifications on improving the implant success. Several strategies have been suggested to modify the implant surface topography as well as surface chemistry in order to achieve a micro-porous structure with nano-scale architecture, with increased bio-activity; hydrophilicity and anti-bacterial properties. CONCLUSIONS: There has been commendable success with many of these strategies in laboratories. However, following the success in ex-vivo studies, very few of these surface modalities have found their way to clinical set-ups.

COVID-19 Era: Challenges and Solutions in Dental Education.

Coronavirus infecious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought a myriad of challenges to the dental education. Amidst the quarantine and lockdown measures, face-to-face education is disrupted around the globe. Dental educators have come up with innovative solutions to resume dental education remotely. Different online platforms are being utilised for didactic teaching and learning as well as for students 2019; assessment and examination. Clinical learning has also shifted to virtual learning. Manikins and virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR)-based simulation devices along with haptic technology can be very helpful for skills training. However, some sorts of blended learning and virtual curriculum may be incorporated in dental education in the future. For this narrative review, a thorough in-depth review of the available literature, relevant to our field, was carried out. In this article, impact of COVID-19 on dental education has been discussed along with some solutions to these challenges. Key Words: COVID-19, Dental education, E-learning, Virtual/augmented reality.